The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-19
The Negro in Politics.

Washington Cor. Philadelphia Record.
The negro has disappeared from Congress.
O'Hara, of North Carolina who was really
only a mulatto), and Smalls. of South Caro-
lima, the last of the Africans, dropped out
the last election, and all the men who stood
up in awkward squads to be sworn in at
this session had white faces. The negro is
not only out of Congress, he is practically
out Of politics The only political fear he
had, that the Democratic party would en-
slave him again should they get into power,
has disappeared since the Democrats have
been in power dozen years in the South anil
three years in Washington. He has no
political hopes. He has, therefore, dismissed
politics from his mind and gone to making
money. As farmer, planter, mechanic, he
finds himself better off than he ever was
as politician, and he has no hankering to 90
back. This is the whole secret of the de-
crease in the negro vote He is too busy
to vote, like many an intelligent, educated,
rich white man North and South. / do not
say that this sort of thing is right for rich
or poor, white or black, North or South, but
it is a fact. During the war an attempt was
made to recruit Massachusetts regiments
among the negroes of South Carolina.
Some of the younger darkies on a certain
plantation were disposed to Zine the cav
airy but before enlisting they sought the
advice of the Uncle Remus of the plauta-
tion "Wats it all aboutm he asked.
Why" said one, "de Yankees is fighting to
free US, and the Confeds is fighting to keep
us slaves" And it's all about you, is it p
YES 'Well," said Uncle Remus, sit
minds me oh two dogs fighting ober bone.
But nebber heard of de bone fighting
and you is de bone" Now that about ex-
presses the idea of the average darkey. Be
fore Congressional election several years
ago Smals, of South Carolina, came up here
y I'D ~
Republican Congressional Committee. II
want some money" he said. what forp'
asked Mcpherson, what do you want of
money in district overwhelmingly Repub-
lican like yoursp why" explained
Smalls. II spent all my money getting the
nomination. and now l haven't any money
for election expenses. ''Such as whatl"
asked Mcpherson. Why" said Smalls,
''the men who peddle the tickets and chal-
lenge voters and do all the other work
around the polls" But l should think"
said Mcpherson, ''you could get men to do
that for nothing Don't the Democratsr'
YES" said Smalls, "the Democrats do, but
our fellows won't unless they're paid for it. {"
In other words, if there be no money in it
they are Indifferent. and now that the most
ignorant of their preachers, who are more
influential with them than any other set of
men, have got good grip on the idea that
the Democrats do not propose to put them
back to slavery, they do not care straw
for the success of the Republican party. On
the other hand the whites care Just as much
as ever for the success of the Democratic
party, so that all predictions that the Re
publican party will carry Southern States
in the next national election are absurdly
nonsensical. Blanche K. Bruce, ex Senator
from Mississippi, is the only one of the Con-
gressional negroes who has amounted to
anything, and he is almost white. He was
appointed Register of the Treasury after he
left the Senate, resigned when Cleveland
came in, and has been occurring with sue
cess ever since. bob" Elliott OF South
Carolina, who was genuine negro, was the
smartest and most INSCRIPTIONS of all these
statesmen. He got into louisiana politics
and was finally trip by William Pitt
Kellogg so badly that 1t broke his political
back. Joseph II. Rainey, of South Carolina
a modest mulatto is occasionally seen here.
He holds some government inspectorship |
think. But all the rest have gone glimmer-
ing into obscurity.